Modern life is filled with stress. Whether it is job, children or self-judgement, stress can create havoc in one’s life and can lead to serious health issues. Yoga has some wonderful stress management techniques that can relief you from symptoms of stress and anxiety. Yoga involves concentration on breath, which can shift your mind’s focus from stress causing thoughts. This deviation can prove to be healthy, both physically and mentally. Yoga for stress relief is a wonderful mechanism to help you maintain peace, by training your fidgety mind to control emotions. Through yoga you can put a leash on your thoughts and with regular practise, lead a stress-free life.
Yoga is the most effective way to deal with stress. This article lists five of the yoga exercises you can try to deal with stress.
8 Best Yoga Poses For Stress Relief:
Check out these effective Yoga poses to alleviate stress and achieve inner peace:
1. Cross-Legged Lower Back Stretch:
This asana is powerful posture to reduce peace of mind. It releases emotions packed inside the body by stretching the lower back. This stretch can get the tension out of the muscles and stay in sync with your breath.
How to Do:
- To do this asana, you need to sit a few inches away from the wall.
- Your legs should be crossed.
- Now place your hands on the wall and “walk” your fingers up it, while stretching your body from your lower back.
- You need to broaden your shoulder blades.
- Separate and lift your shoulder blades.
- You should keep your throat and your neck loose and not tense your shoulders while lifting them.
- When you have reached your highest height, hold that position and try to stretch your body higher.
- Then rest and repeat the same procedure from the top.
How this pose helps to relieve from stress?
The main benefit of this pose is that it helps release the stress out of the lower back, by massaging the muscles and stimulating them. By gently practising conscious deep breathing, this pose can warm up the spine and offer soothing relief.
See More: Yoga Asanas For Depression
2. Upward Arm Stretch:
Certain stress factors can create a burden in the upper back area, particularly the neck, shoulders and upper spine. This yoga posture can alleviate the pain and offer great comfort and relief.
How to do:
- To do this asana, you will need a chair.
- Now sit in the chair so that you face the wall.
- Now place your hands on the wall as high as you can and walk them up the wall while lifting your shoulders.
- You need to broaden your shoulder blades.
- Separate and lift your shoulder blades.
- You should keep your throat and your neck loose and not tense your shoulders while lifting them.
- When you have reached your highest height, hold that position and try to stretch your body higher.
- Then rest and repeat the same procedure from the top.
How this pose helps to relieve from stress?
When you are stressed, your muscles tend to tighten, leading to severe pain and even immobility. This yoga posture can relive the tension from your muscles by stretching the upper portion of your back. It not only eases pain, but also calm down your mind.
3. Right Angle Pose:
This easy pose can get rid of your anxiety and stress by stretching the muscles in the upper back and torso region. It is a very effective way to calm down your busy, fickle mind.
How to Do:
- To do this asana, you will need to stand close to the wall, a few inches away.
- Then place your hands on the wall by your waist so that they are the same height and are about the distance of your shoulder apart.
- Walk backwards and make sure that your torso is so against the wall that it is perpendicular and that your legs in line with your hips.
- Now you must extend your arms into the wall, trying to push it back.
- Put the strength of your body into it and extend your spine to its maximum length. This will straighten out your elbows and knees.
- Hold that position and try to stretch your body higher. Then rest and repeat the same procedure from the top.
How this pose helps to relieve from stress?
This pose can calm down your mind by releasing the tension from the back muscles. It can help you regulate your breath and slowing down your emotions. This asana is wonderful to control your anxiety instantly.
See More: Exercise To Reduce Face Fat
4. Downward Facing Dog:
Also known as AdhoMukhasana, this asana is one of the most popular stress release yoga. It has immense benefits for body, mind and soul. It can strengthen your body and energize it.
How to Do:
- To do this asana, you will once again need a chair.
- Now you must place the chair against the wall so that its back is to the wall.
- Then, you must kneel in front of the seat of your chair about 3 feet away from it.
- Put your hands on the edge of the chair.
- Then, try to straighten your legs and come up by putting your weight on your toes.
- Angle the upper half of your body downward so that you can lift your buttocks.
- Try to straighten out your legs and arms while stretching your spine to the fullest.
- Now put pressure and try to push the front of the thighs towards the back of the thighs.
- You can ask someone to help you with this step to avoid excessive pressure on your arms.
- Hold that position and try to stretch your body higher.
- Then rest and repeat the same procedure from the top.
How this pose helps to relieve from stress?
This yoga pose relieves the tension in hamstrings, calves, shoulders and hands. It can calm down your mind and make your mind free from anxiety and depression. This is a great rejuvenating pose for your body and mind.
See More: Yoga Asanas For Constipation
5. Knees to Chest:
This is another feel-good asana for stress relief. Knees to Chest posture is called Apanasana, meaning to expel out. This asana helps in flushing the toxins out of the body, including toxic emotions.
How to do:
- To do this asana, you will need to pull your knees into your chest and hold them while lying on the ground.
- Rock your body from side to side gently while holding this pose. Now inhale and exhale slowly, relaxing your body every time you exhale.
- Try to stretch out and relax your back. Hold that position and try to stretch your body higher.
- Then rest and repeat the same procedure from the top.
How this pose helps to relieve from stress?
This asana helps in stretching the pelvic area and control lower back pain. It can release extreme emotions that cause stress and can lower blood pressure. It can also reduce spasms caused due to stress.
6. Easy Pose:
Sukhasana or easy pose, as the name suggests is a simple yoga posture. This best yoga for stress relief, can be extremely comfortable to the body and can help in calming down a chaotic mind.
How to do:
- Be seated on the floor
- Your left leg must be folded and placed inside your right thigh
- Your right thigh must be folded and placed inside your left thigh
- Place your hands on your knees and sit straight
- Your spine should be in erect position
- Inhale and exhale normally and relax your body
- Hold the position till you can calm down
How this pose helps to relieve from stress?
This pose is one of the best stress relieving techniques offered by Yoga. It can help you maintain your composure through breathing. This technique brings ‘sukha’ or joy and comfort to body and mind.
7. Child’s Pose:
Child’s pose or Balasana, means baby like pose. This is the position in which the foetus rests in the womb of the mother and hence the name. It helps in reducing stress and can offer great comfort to the body.
How to do:
- On the floor, kneel down with your buttocks touching the soles of your feet
- Your feet must be flat on the ground
- Now bend with your arms stretched out
- Pull the body away from the arms
- Maintain the position while breathing
- Release the position after 30 seconds
How this pose helps to relieve from stress?
Balasana can help release muscular tension of shoulders, neck and upper back. It can instantly relieve you from stress and fatigue. It can also stimulate your internal organs and enable them to function well. Through synchronized breathing, it can help in reducing the nervousness.
8. Corpse Pose:
If you are looking for the best pose that can help you relax your entire body is Shavasana, or corpse pose. It gets its name from the corpse like posture.
How to do:
- Lie down on your back with your feet wide apart
- Close your eyes
- Place your arms by the sides and your palms open
- Just breathe normally and let your muscles stay free
- Retain this position for 10 minutes
How this pose helps to relieve from stress?
Shavasana involves complete relaxation of the body, mind and soul. This asana helps your mind to calm down and discard unnecessary thoughts. It can soothe a wrecked nervous system and make you back to normal again.
The main reason why Yoga is beneficial for stress relief is that, it involves the art of conscious breathing. When we synchronize our breathing with the movements of the asanas, we automatically stop thinking of the unnecessary thoughts. This deviation can result in easing the tension and anxiety. Too much stress can lead to serious health issues in the long term. It’s important to start working on it before stress creates havoc in your body. Try these asanas and lead a stress free life.
